Legislative Update – Urge the General Assembly to Include HB 250 with Full Funding in the Final Budget

Urge the General Assembly to include
HB 250, the Healthy Food Small Retailer/Corner Store Act,
with full funding in the final budget!

The North Carolina General Assembly is currently negotiating the state budget for fiscal year 2015-17 (HB 97). In a surprise move last week, the Senate decided to move Medicaid Reform policy separate from the budget negotiations and quickly heard legislation in the Senate Health Committee. Budget talks are underway, and Speaker of the House Representative Tim Moore stated that the Conference Committee expects to complete the budget process by Friday, August 14.

Now is the time for advocates to speak up about healthy corner stores! This may be our last chance to secure funding for the Healthy Corner Store Initiative in the state budget this year.

With one in five North Carolinians facing food insecurity this year, it is up to us to help create policies that can make a difference for those who need it most. Communities that lack access to healthy foods are disproportionately impacted by obesity and diet-related diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and some types of cancer.

The Healthy Corner Store Initiative can help change those statistics by tapping into a community’s existing retail footprint. The initiative engages corner store and small business owners and provides them with marketing and technical assistance to stock and sell fresh, healthy foods. Educators will also provide nutrition and cooking guidance, so shoppers know how to prepare the healthy foods. For talking points on the Healthy Corner Store Initiative click here.

Urge House and Senate Conference Committee members to include HB 250, the Healthy Food Small Retailer/Corner Store Act with full funding in the final state budget!

Not sure who your representative is? Click here to find out using your address.

Join the #NCHCSI campaign and share why you think North Carolina would benefit from the Healthy Corner Store Initiative!

Click here to print out a template. Then, fill it in, take a photo, upload it to the NCAH website, share it on social media (make sure to use #NCHCSI), and show your support for healthy food access in North Carolina.